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the project of a Central Embryological Library, which will be ar the 

 disposal of every embryologist over the whole world. 



The collection of this central library will consist in the first place of 

 a complete collection of reprints of embryological work, and in the second 

 place of a collection of special handbooks and embryological periodicals 1 ). 



The significance of such a central library will become clear when we give 

 a short survey of its general modes of use. 



a. Every embryologist can ask for information about literature on 

 special subjects or of certain authors, about newly published literature, 

 etc., etc. 



b. Every embryologist can ask for special papers which are not available 

 in his own country. The Hubrecht Laboratory will lend them — under 

 certain general conditions — to every embryologist. 



c. Every embryologist can personally consult the Library of the Hubrecht 

 Laboratory at all times. 



d. The central library will be at the disposal of every embryologist, who 

 is carrying out scientific work at the Hubrecht Laboratory. 



Since a part of this central collection will be regularly lent out, a single 

 collection cannot fulfil all requirements. For providing information about 

 literature and for the scientific work of the staff of the Hubrecht 

 Laboratory and of visiting embryologists we need a collection which is 

 complete and which is at their disposal at all times. We therefore ask 

 every embryologist to send us two copies of his reprints, one under the 

 name of the "Central Embryological Library of the Hubrecht Laboratory" 

 and one under the name of Dr P. D. Nieuwkoop, whose collection will 

 form the special collection for internal use. 



As you will understand, however, there is one general condition for the 

 success of our enterprise, viz., the collaboration of every embryologist, 

 a collaboration in the form of a regular sending of all publications dealing 

 with embryology in its widest sense. 



First, however, we must supplement our present collection of older 

 literature, as there are several gaps in it. The Hubrecht Laboratory, 

 having been a descriptive embryological institute only up till 1947, 

 possesses a rather complete collection of the older descriptive and 

 comparative literature, but lacks the more recent descriptive and expert 

 mental literature for the greater part. 



We originally intended to send every embryologist a list of his own 

 publications present in our library in order to facilitate a supply. The 

 extent of the administrative work at the Hubrecht Laboratory does not 

 allow such an enormous work at this moment, nor, probably, in the near 

 future. Moreover, several authors are not yet represented at all in our 

 collection. It seems, therefore, better to ask every embryologist to send 

 us his older publications, and, if possible, also all duplicates of embryo- 

 logical papers which are of little or no use to his own institute. Private 

 collections, which cease to be used, and which may otherwise get lost, 

 can be of a very great value for completion of this Central Library. 



*) These handbooks and periodicals are only intended for providing information 

 about literature (a) and for internal use in the Institute (d.). 



